I called you – you need to show your cards

This is the last thing of interest that I’ll post regarding my 1^st trip to Vegas – we were staying at the Rio and had walked over to the Strip in over 100 degree heat stopping off at Caesars Palace (surely that should have a possessive apostrophe but that’s my pedantry kicking in) for a drink before I went to find a game. I got sat in seat 2 at a 1/2 table at the only empty seat they had available. At my left was a pretty aggressive player which I didn’t overly like but I didn’t see an empty seat for at least an hour so couldn’t move.

The guy in seat 3 was opening preflop at least 30% of the time (he’d never limp) then invariably C-bet on the flop. He’d fold or raise if someone played back at him but over the course of an hour I don’t recall him having to showdown a hand so I had no real read on what his range was. With some people you can tell that they’ll happily showdown 8-4 offsuit but this guy didn’t fit that bill. I’d tightened up a bit and had treaded water for about an hour and I think I was around my initial buy in of $300 (seat 3 had around $550) when this hand occurred:

I’m in the BB and look down at my least favourite paired hand of JJ. Seat 3 makes it $8 UTG and gets 3 callers before I act, I call and we see a flop of 9-8-7 rainbow. I check and seat 3 leads out $20 into a pot of $40, 1 call from middle position before I call. 2 on the turn and there’s all suits on the board so I can discount a flush draw, I check and seat 3 bets $60 into $100, MP folds and I call. 6 on the river is pretty scary and I check hoping that seat 3 slows down – he doesn’t. He leads for $120 into $220.

(For the avoidance of doubt I know I played the hand badly, I’ve butchered it from start to finish and am only including this story because of what happened at showdown - for a better way to play JJ please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP9CBtSW0kA&feature=youtu.be).

Now I have a real decision to make – I’ve pretty much discounted an overpair to my JJ – obviously not impossible but given his preflop action he’s not rangebound to QQ, KK or AA. But, does he have 10-10, A-10 etc or, even worse, is he holding a 5? Or potentially a set?  But it’s quite possible that he’s done this with AK, AQ or something like A-9 so he’s actually hit part of the flop. I tank for a while and eventually announce call. It’s at this point the title makes sense.

After I announce call I turn to him and wait for him to turn his hand over. He does nothing. I tell him that I called just in case he hadn’t heard and he says “I know”. Yet still does nothing. This goes on for about 45 seconds so we’re pushing 90 seconds since my initial call. If this guy is slow rolling I’m going to go nuts but his reluctance to show suggests he didn’t like my call. I tell him he has to show and he responds by asking if I have a straight – wtf?!!! The dealer has not done anything at this point apart from sit there so she now pipes up with “someone show the winner” but it’s not directed at anyone so isn’t helping the situation. I tell him directly now “I called you, you need to show your cards”. “Can you show first” is his reply. Again – wtf???! Now the dealer finally chimes in with “Sir – you’ve been called. Show or muck”. “Why” is the reply “I thought you showed in order of action”. The dealer now explains the rules but it’s close to 5 minutes since the hand ended. He listens to this then asks what happens if he mucks, the dealer responds but we’re still eating time and the other players at the table are fuming. He’s keeps looking at me hoping that I’m showing but after this palaver there’s no way I’m giving him the satisfaction. The dealer announces that she’s calling the floor which prompts the guy to huff and puff “OK, ok, ok” and eventually turns over 3-3. TFFT! I table my hand and gratefully scoop the pot. He plays the next couple of hands under a bit of a cloud while still mumbling under his breath that I should have shown my hand first before leaving 10 mins later.

I can understand if this is his first time playing and really doesn’t understand the rules but his standard of play showed no indication of that being the case. I think he obviously knew the rules and given that it was only the threat of a floor person coming over that made him act suggested he might well have been warned for it previously. He has some form of showdown value with a pair but I’m obviously not calling with worse so why has he not just mucked? To me it’s an obvious angle shoot – he wanted information on me and was never giving his up if I’d tabled first

What’s your take on this – would you have acted any differently?

Also – what’s the worst angle shoot you’ve ever seen?